A federal judge ruled today to approve a proposal for federal receivership for Rikers Island.

U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain said the decision comes as the court is deeply concerned about the health and safety of those held and working on Rikers Island. According to the Department of Correction, seven people have died while in custody or shortly after they were released this year.

The decision by the court also comes after nearly eight years that the DOC has worked with a monitor to reform the jail and to reduce violence.

DOC Commissioner Louis Molina told the court today that there's been irrefutable progress at the jail, but the judge said it wasn't enough.

The judge also said that the DOC has not demonstrated by action sufficient willingness to engage with the monitoring team that's in place.

The next conference on the Rikers receivership will be on Nov. 28 at 2 p.m.